TOPIC: Need to retake the PMP after failing in July

Hi all,

After taking a 5 week prep course I unfortunately still ended up failing my PMP exam this past July. I took some time to recalibrate and now am ready to begin preparing again and this time focusing more on test taking strategy (which is something I didn't get nearly enough of in my prep courses), while focusing on just a couple of areas that I feel I could use a little more fine tuning in.

My first question is concerning scheduling the PMP. I know the exam is changing on 1/11/16 and I do want to take the exam before the holidays this year for sure. Does anyone think I will have a tough time scheduling something in a few months from now at this point? I'm concerned because I'm thinking many others will have the same idea in mind to take the exam now before it changes. Thoughts on this?

Last question is that I'm wondering if the PM Exam Simulator would be the best route and only route for me to take at this point, or if I should be purchasing something else in addition. I know there are a few areas I'd like to revisit in terms of my knowledge, but I could always use my previous course's books for that. I just want to make sure I pass this time and am hoping the Simulator provides some insight on test taking strategy as well, which is something I feel could have really helped me in July.

Any feedback would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

John

Hi John -

I don't know what kind of impact the test change is having on scheduling - someone who has recently tried to register might be able to offer more insight than I can - but I wouldn't stress over that point too much. I would be surprised if you couldn't find something that worked for your schedule if you're planning this far in advance.

As for the simulator - I would definitely recommend it, as it does a really good job of approximating the real exam in my opinion. Like others before me, I found the questions to be just a notch or two harder than the real thing, which was great because knowing that I could routinely pass the practice exams gave me plenty of confidence heading into test day.

As for whether you should go with ONLY the simulator ... that I would question, if only because it's putting all of your eggs into that one basket. Sure, test-taking skills are part of it, but I've always been of the mindset that knowing the material is much more important, as is the confidence that you bring into the exam knowing that you know your stuff inside and out. The simulator will definitely help to bring those things together and get you used to the testing environment, but you want to make sure that you have a nice, solid foundation in place first.

I'm assuming from your post that you took a classroom-based course last time around; if so, you may want to consider subscribing to the PrepCast and using that for review. Even if you feel like you have the concepts more or less down, hearing it again from another perspective might help to make new connections, reinforce what you've already learned, and/or help to untangle things you may have learned wrong without realizing it. It's really easy since (for most lessons) you can go the audio-only route during your commute to/from work, and with the cost being as low as it is, it's very little risk for potentially high reward if it ends up helping you with the exam.

That's just my $0.02, but I found both resources to be extremely effective and a terrific value, and worth considering given how much time you have between now and your target exam date.

Good luck!

Thanks so very much Jonathan! That feedback was very helpful. I'm more than willing to check out the PrepCast Videos as well, however were you referring to the free one that is available, or the standard package for $179.99. I was hoping not to spend that much, but if I have to, I will. I just think with the amount of videos available for the standard option, that's almost like spending money on a whole new course, as I already spent quite a bit on my classroom based coursed earlier this Summer. However please clarify when you can. Thanks so much!

Regards,

John

That is a tough one to answer as we don't know what/how much you studied.

If you didn't use them the first time, the Exam Practice Tests are a must, in my opinion.

If you use them not only as a testing prep, but as a study aid as well, it will help you much.
Make note of any question you missed and researched WHY you missed it. Document it all to go back and study when you are not taking tests.

Take all of the tests!! You should be getting in the 80 range!

Hi John -

I was referring to the full course. Obviously $179 is a lot more than free, but compared to the classroom-based courses I was able to find when I was preparing to take the exam (none of which was less than $1600), it's a tremendous value. I know it's tempting to think about the money you've already invested, but I would advise you to treat that as a sunk cost - don't worry about trying to validate the money you've spent, but instead, do what you need to do to pass the test this time around. If that means investing a couple of hundred dollars (or about $15/week between now and December) to nail the exam, I would consider that money well spent, especially when you consider the potential cost if you come up short again and have to pay another exam fee. Seems to me like a wise investment to be sure you knock it out of the park, even if you might be able to get by without it.

Ultimately it's your call, but if it were me I'd want to make sure I have my bases covered. The self-paced nature of the lessons is a different approach to learning than an intensive classroom cram session, and if the first one didn't work for you, maybe approaching the problem from another angle will help things click for you.